US military aircraft crashes over the Tiwi Islands in the Northern Territory
US military planes crash over the Tiwi Islands in the Northern Territory
- The plane was carrying US Marines
- The plane crashed at 9:43 a.m. on Sunday morning
A US military plane has crashed in the Northern Territory, leaving several members on board missing and others injured.
The V-22 Osprey had about 20 U.S. Marines on board before crashing at 9:43 a.m. Sunday on remote Melville Island, 37 miles off the coast of Darwin.
“Initial reports suggest that US defense personnel are involved in the incident and that members of the Australian Defense Force were not involved,” a Defense Ministry spokesman said.
“At this critical early stage, our focus is on incident response and ensuring the safety of those involved.
“More information will be provided when needed.”
The V-22 Osprey had about 20 U.S. Marines on board before crashing over the Tiwi Islands at 9:43 a.m. Sunday. A V-22 Osprey is pictured
An aviation tracker Twitter account (pictured) reported that a ‘RAAF C-130 has been circling the area for some time and a Careflight helicopter and fixed wing aircraft are also on site’
The crash comes as the area’s largest Australian-led military exercise, the Predators Run, is underway.
The exercise involves 2,500 soldiers, about 500 of whom are US Marines.
There are also soldiers from the Philippines, Indonesia and East Timor, as well as Australian personnel.
An aviation tracker’s Twitter account reported that a ‘RAAF C-130 has been circling the area for some time and a Careflight helicopter and fixed-wing aircraft are also on site’.
In 2017, three US Marines were killed during a military training exercise when an MV-22 Osprey with 26 crew members on board crashed into the water off the coast of Queensland at Shoalwater Bay.
The other 23 members of that crew were rescued.
More to come.